Course Offerings

Massage for People
Living with Cancer

A Basic Training Course for Massage Practitioners and Students, Bodyworkers, and Other Professional Touch Therapists

by Gayle MacDonald

Course Description  Comfort-oriented massage or touch can be administered to people with cancer regardless of the severity of their condition. The purpose of this class is to train touch therapists in the basics of oncology massage. The experience derived from this training will create new-found confidence in bodyworkers about working with clients, particularly private practice clients, who have cancer or are recovering from it. Therapists who focus on hospice and hospital work will also find this course to be valuable for their special needs patients.  More...

Massage in the
Oncology Setting

A Five-day Hospital Intensive

by Gayle MacDonald

Course Description  Comfort-oriented massage or touch can be administered to people with cancer regardless of the severity of their condition.  In this course, participants will have the opportunity to apply their massage skills with in- and out-patients receiving treatment for cancer.  Massage will be given to people before, during, and after chemotherapy, before and after radiation, and surgical and diagnostic procedures.  Therapists will have a chance to use massage to support family caregivers as well.   More...

Gentle Scar Tissue Mobilization Techniques for the Post-Mastectomy and Radiation Treatment Client

A Course for Massage Therapists and Nurses, by Jamie Elswick

Instructor: Jamie Elswick, BSc, LMT

Course Description  Many breast cancer survivors experience pain, lymphedema, reduced range of motion, and even frozen shoulder after treatment. This course focuses on understanding the basic effects of surgery and radiation on the tissues and how scar tissue mobilization can restore healthy functioning to the fascial/musculo-skeletal system. The Lauren Berry Method of Corrective Massage™ will be used to address both the treated area and compensatory areas of soft tissue.  More...

Mentoring in the Basics
of Oncology Massage

Instructors: OMEA staff

Course Description  This class is designed to systematically mentor therapists who have completed Massage for People Living with Cancer as they take this work back into practice with their own clients who have been affected by cancer. Therapists will work in a group of other practitioners with one of the MPLWC instructors as mentor. Mentoring will take place through case history write-ups and group interactions, mostly via email and occasionally the telephone. Therapists will receive one-on-one coaching as well as mentoring through a group process.  More...